Sega Japan has taken to Twitter to formally ask fans which games they would like to see on the upcoming Mega Drive mini (Genesis mini in the West). Three polls in total have been posted to the official account, each of which asks players to choose between a classic game and its sequel for inclusion on the long-anticipated device.
The polls ask players to choose between Sonic and Sonic 2, Shining Force and Shining Force 2, and Puyo Puyo and Puyo Puyo Tsu. Seeking input from passionate players is admirable, though some have raised concerns that if these choices are being put forward by Sega, does that signal that only one of each of these will be allowed?
The polls were posted by the Japanese branch of the company which means that these results will likely directly impact the Japanese release of the mini but it also seems unlikely that the West would receive its own edition of the system. That said, these polls are open to all Twitter users so anyone from any region can have a say in the voting.
When Nintendo launched its Nintendo Entertainment Systems mini (NES) in June of 2018, it included up to three games from a single series in an effort to provide players with a comprehensive library. For instance, the mini console includes all three Super Mario Bros. games and both Castlevania titles originally released on the NES. Sega is seemingly preparing to only include one title from tentpole franchise such as Sonic, a strange choice for the retro device.
The strange selection process comes after Sega announced it was delaying the release of the Mega Drive mini to give players a better overall experience and hit a global release date for the hardware. Despite the delay, the Mega Drive mini is still set for a worldwide release in 2019.